This invention is directed to athletic shoes. It is well-known in the production of such shoes to provide cleats extending outwardly from the shoe soles for purposes of improving the grip of the toe relative to the playing surface. A variety of cleat designs have been developed, particularly since the advent of different types of synthetic playing surfaces. Thus, certain cleat designs are recognized to be more suitable for specific types of playing surfaces.
Some variations in cleat designs are proposed depending upon the sport involved and weather conditions. Thus, track shoes will have cleats quite different than football shoes, and different cleats will be used on football shoes depending upon whether wet or dry playing conditions are involved.
In spite of the variety of cleat designs available, problems are recognized in certain instances. Specifically, cleats have a tendency to "grab" relative to the playing surface, and this can be quite detrimental to performance. Particular reference is made to grabbing of cleats relative to the playing surface when an athlete is attempting to kick a ball. This is most apparent in the game of soccer where kicking is involved in a large percentage of the activity.